Faced with a Killer Virus, Economic Meltdown, A Climate Emergency and Growing Strife in Cities South of the Border – There Are Days When One Can’t Help But Wonder
A Brief One by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large
Posted June 3rd, 2020
“And you tell me over and over and over again my friend, ah you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.”
When ‘Eve Of Destruction’ first exploded onto the charts in the summer of 1965 – at a time when, short of Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary and a few others, The Beatles and most of the other big-name artists were still singing songs about falling in and out of love – it became an immediate soundtrack for a growing nightmare that was our concern, at the time, over a global nuclear war, a growing war in Vietnam, racial strife and an environmental crisis at the time that sparked the first Earth Day in 1970.
That song was written by a guy named P.F. Sloan, a popular songwriter at the time, but it was sung and made famous by Barry McGuire.
I remember Barry McGuire playing at a bar in Niagara, Ontario in the 1980s, and people who had devolved from being hippies and yippies, to the yuppies (young urban and suburban professionals) all about their careers and making money, making fun of him appearing here in a lowly bar and maybe singing that song at that point.
Barry McGuire had gone from having a blockbuster song that defined the times, to – ‘who cares about a song like that now.’
Speed forward to some 30 years later.
If anything, that song is as bang-on now as it was when it first hit the charts and some radio stations across North American actually banned it because, in their view, it was not in keeping with fanning the flames of mindless patriotism.
So here is ‘Eve Of Destruction’, with a rather contemporary video accompanying it, that you can hear by clicking on the screen below –
Thank You to Barry McGuire – now, believe it or not, more than 80 years old – for leaving us with this still so timely song.
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Doug Draper, Niagara At Large
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‘Each and every one of us must be vigilant. We must be ready to call out abuse of power and the mistreatment of others whenever we see it.’
TORONTO – The Ontario government is celebrating local agri-food heroes who have stepped up to ensure the province’s food supply chain remains strong during the COVID-19 outbreak. Individuals, businesses and organizations are highlighted in
TORONTO ― In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ontario is extending the provincial Declaration of Emergency to June 30. 
For more on the BPO and any future online or radio or TV broadcasting performances, click on
“The Rainbow Flag raising is a collaborative partnership with Niagara College that is symbolic of our unwavering support for not only the LGBTQ2+ community, and other marginalized communities, but for all students, faculty, support staff, administrators, and visitors at the College. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we work together as a community to strengthen and support each other.” – Niagara College Student Council president Tom Price
Niagara Health is committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect in order to provide a safe space to all staff, physicians and members of the Niagara community. We will be using this year’s Pride Month to learn more about issues and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community and promote acceptance and inclusion.
Ottawa, Ontario – As we continue to focus on the health and safety of all Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are also taking immediate action to support small towns and big cities across the country to restart the economy, and create good, well-paying jobs.
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“It’s my face man
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As governments prepare recovery plans amidst the COVID-19 crisis, an informal alliance of over 150 civil society groups, representing collective memberships of millions in Canada, are demanding these plans move us toward a more equitable and sustainable future, with the release, (this May 25th), of six Principles for a Just Recovery.
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Niagara, Ontario – Convocation is a monumental occasion in the life of any post-secondary student, and Brock University won’t let the Class of 2020 go uncelebrated.
I turned on the CBC this May 24th to reports of crowded sidewalks, beaches and parks this weekend, and this Sunday’s front cover of The Toronto Sun, a conservative-leaning paper that has not shown a report of being as much of an advocate for lockdowns and social-distancing as, let’s say a newspaper like The Toronto Star, featured a park in Toronto packed with people, many of them not appearing to be wearing masks or keeping two metres apart.
The political ad I am featuring here may not be Canadian content in the sense that it eviscerates a character holding elected office in Trump’s America.
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An Invite to You from the host of this Webinar event, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
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So courtesy of those pop-up Facebook messages I receive, which I normally find quite annoying because, on so many levels, I don’t like Facebook has done to real newspapers and to the civility of public discourse, I am going to let Sylvester, one of my all-time favourite cats, out of the bag, and wish one of my all-time favourite public servants in Niagara, Ontario a Happy Birthday.
A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper, Niagara At Large
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Passed during a special sitting of the Ontario Legislature today, the Declaration of Emergency has been extended until June 2.
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“The government’s job is to do everything in its power to get our workers the PPE they need, not to water down the safety recommendations so they don’t have to,” – Andrea Horwath, Leader of Ontario’s Official Opposition New Democrats
“For basic prevention, staff should wear cloth (non-medical) masks at all congregate care sites regardless of infection status. All suspect (symptomatic) and confirmed cases should be isolated in a single room and enhanced precautions must be deployed.”
Niagara At Large 